Religion
Named in 315BC after the half-sister of Alexander the Great, Thessaloniki is steeped in ancient history – home to Macedonians, Romans, Venetians, Greeks, Jews, Ottomans and refugees of Asia Minor over the centuries. Predictably, the city that once shared the rule of the Byzantine Empire with Constantinople has a trove of museums, sites such as the Roman Agora, the Arch of Galerius, the Rotonda and numerous places of worship that span non-secular history.
The main sanctuary dedicated to the patron saint of Thessaloniki dates back to the time when the city was the second largest city in the Byzantine Empire. As part of the Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.
A rare 15th-century Ottoman Mosque.
A historic synagogue of the once vibrant Jewish community in Thessaloniki, built in 1927.
Built in 1899, the temple was the design of Vitaliano Poselli, a well-known Italian architect invited by the Ottoman administration to modernize many of the city’s public buildings. An older temple dating back to 1743 existed at the same location.
A three-aisled basilica rebuilt on the site of the early-Christian sanctuary of the 8th century of which the original conch remains. Testimonies of Byzantine documents affirm that the church operated from the early 9th century Byzantine Thessaloniki, as one of the largest parishes and one of the few churches that stayed in Christian hands after the Turkish invasion of 1492.
One of the oldest churches in the city still standing today, and one of our many monuments included as a World Heritage Site on the UNESCO list.
A small green oasis in the center of the city pleasantly surprises the visitors as it is situated nearly 5 meters below the street level and hosts the ancient monastery and the catacombs of Saint John.
The largest and oldest Evangelical Church in Thessaloniki, built in 1865.
Built in the early 4th century, it is an impressive roman monument inscribed in the World Heritage List of Unesco. It was first constructed as a mausoleum for the Emperor Galerius.
A 5th-century Byzantine church, one of the earliest surviving churches of the city.
